Katariina Mauranen

What was your favorite book as a child?

I read a lot, and my favourites changed over the years, but two books stand out in particular: Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, and Ronja the Robber’s Daughter by Astrid Lindgren. Both were set in surroundings I could relate to, as I spent my childhood summers in the Finnish countryside, by a lake, surrounded by forests. Both were stories about children living independently of adults, at least for a while, and surviving in their environment. Swallows and Amazons instilled in me a lifelong love of boats and sailing. The children navigate the very real challenges of camping on an island and sailing a small boat, with their games enhanced by a vivid imagination creating a world of pirates, adventures and warfare. Ronja the Robber’s Daughter was a coming-of-age story set in a forest full of dangers and magical creatures, with such powerful storytelling that the story has stayed with me. I read both books in the Finnish translations as a child, but have read both in the original languages since then.

What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

I started writing when I was a child, because I loved stories. Growing up in a household full of books, I wanted to write them too. I have tried many art forms but expressing myself in writing has always been where I feel most at home. As an adult, writing creatively offers a counterbalance to the text I produce as part of my work, as it allows me to use my imagination in a way that isn’t possible in other contexts.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

My biggest adventures tend to be seafaring stories on tall ships. In the summer of 2001 I found myself travelling to Russian Karelia to sail on a wooden 17th century replica ship. I spoke neither Russian nor Karelian, and despite half my family originating from the area, I had never visited, so I was rather excited about it. I spent an intense three weeks sailing a vessel that was very different from the modern craft I was used to, learning the incredibly rich history of the area, immersing myself in an unfamiliar way of life, and falling in love with a place that was at once just like home, and yet completely different. Our route took us from Lake Onega to the White Sea through a shipping canal built by gulags in the 1930s. I am working on a novel length story based on this experience.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

I never have music playing while I write. I become immersed either in the music or the text, and I feel I miss out on two full experiences. But I often have music playing in my head, so there’s sometimes an unconscious soundtrack to my writing process. For example when writing “Left Behind” I had “The Road” by Emmylou Harris playing in my head. It’s a song about loss, and its melancholy tune fits the story well. One reason I don’t listen to music while I write is that I prefer music with lyrics. Hearing someone else’s words and stories while I’m writing my own would distract me, and their words would inevitably end up on my page. So I write in silence.